Percy da vies



P. DAVIES. WINDOW SHADE ATTACHMENT.

{No Model;

No. 559,098. Patented Anr. 28, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY DAVIES, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-HALF TO SOLKAIIN, OF SAME PLACE.

WINDOW-SHADE ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 0. 559,098, dated April 28,1896. Application filed February 17, 1896. Serial No. 579,514. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PERCY DAVIES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, haveinvented an Improvement in WVindow-Shade Attachments; and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame.

My invention relates to an attachment for that class of window-shadeswhich are actuated by a spring in the roller by which the shade isrolled up.

It consists of a supplemental drum fixed to the end of the shade-rolleradapted to receive a band or cord which winds and unwinds upon itsimultaneously, and in the same direction with the shade, and inconjunction therewith of guides by which it may be 0perated from anypoint distant from the window.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view of my device.Fig. 2 shows one end of the curtain-roller with the drum in section.Fig. 3 is a section at right angles to the one of Fig. 2, showing theshade entirely unwound.

In the operation of that class of shades in which the shade is rolled upon its roller by means of a spring within the roller, and is retained atany point by a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism which may be released by asudden movement of the shade, it is necessary to operate such shades bya cord centrally attached to the lower transverse bar of the shade. Thisis objectionable where such shades are applied to large show-windows, asthe cord interferes with the appearance of the window, and is alsodifficult to reach when goods are displayed in the space behind thewindow. It is also difficult to disengage the pawl-and-ratchet mechanismso as to allow the shade to rise when it has been pulled entirely downat the bottom, and if the shade is entirely uneoiled from its roller itcan only be again started by getting up and disengaging the pawl byhand.

In my invention I am enabled to start the shade from any point, and tooperate it by a band or cord which is entirely out of line with thewindow and is detached from the shade itself.

A is the shade, which is coiled and uncoiled upon a roller 13, journaledacross the top of the window in the usual manner.

0 is a drum which is adapted to receive a band or cord, and is fixedupon one end of the shade-roller. This drum may be fixed in any suitablemanner; but in order to utilize the shades which are already in place Ihave found a convenient method is to make the drum hollow, so as to slipover the end of the roller, where it may be secured, thus rendering itunnecessary to remove the pin or shaft which is already fixed to theroller. The band D is coiled upon the drum with one or more turnsgreater than the number of turns that the shade makes upon the roller,as shown in Fig. 3. through guides E along the side of the window andthence outward along the floor of the case or window-seat, where it isemployed in large show-windows having a deep space be- This band may beled hind them, or it may be carried along over similar guides or pulleysalong the ceiling and thence down the inner side of the deep show-windowcase. By the use of this band the operator is enabled to pull thecurtain down from any distant point without taking hold of the curtainitself or without any necessity of a cord attached to the center of thecurtain.

The curtain can be left at any point, being held by the usualpawl-and-ratchet mechanism, and if itis again to be raised the pawl canbe disengaged by pulling the curtain down a little and then suddenlyslacking it and allowing it to be run up by the action of its spring.

An important advantage is obtained by reason of the band or cord havingmore turns upon the pulley than the curtain, because if a curtain ofthis class is pulled down so far that it strikes the bottom or so thatit is entirely uncoiled from the roller it will be impossible to give itthe further movement necessary to disengage the pawl and allow it toagain run up. In this case it is necessary to get a step-ladder anddisengage the ratchet by hand.

In my device, by reason of the band having more turns than the curtain,the roller can be given the turn necessary to disengage the pawl, andthe curtain then allowed to run up in the usual manner.

a drum fixed upon the end of a roller, a band I 5 or cord coiled uponsaid drum in the same direction that the shade coils upon the roller andhaving a greater number of turns than the shade whereby the shade may bestarted to roll up when entirely uncoiled from its 20 roller.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

PERCY DAVIES.

lVitnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, JEssIE O. BRoDIE.

